I see what you did there, authors…

We’ve all done it. Sit down with a good book, open it, and exclaimed, “Hey, I see what you did there!” at a double meaning in a character’s name. It’s a common practise, and it’s always fun for the reader to clue in to a hidden pun.

J.K. Rowling, author of the famous Harry Potter series, gives us plenty of ironic names, of which I will point out a few:

• Fawkes, Dumbledore’s phoenix - Guy Fawkes, famous for trying to assassinate James I and blow up the Parliament buildings in 1605 (the Gunpowder Plot; remember the rhyme Remember, remember the fifth of November?). Phoenixes are known for bursting into flames at the ends of their lives, only to be reborn in its own ashes.
• Sirius Black – Sirius is the brightest star in the sky and part of the constellation Canis Major, or the Big Dog. Sirius Black is capable of turning into a massive black dog.
• Remus Lupin - one of two children of the Roman myth Remus and Romulus, who were raised by wolves. ‘Lupin’ is also derived from the Latin word lupinus, meaning wolf. Remus Lupin is a werewolf.
• The Black extended family - everyone in this elite, pure-blooded wizarding family is named after a star, constellation, or other galactical object. E.g. Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco and Scorpio Malfoy, Andromeda Tonks, Sirius Black…

Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins also gives some “Ooh, I see what you did there” moments:

• Peeta Mellark - assumedly derived from ‘pita’ bread. Peeta is a baker in District 12.
• Castor and Pollux - twin brothers of Greek mythology; when Castor is killed, Pollux shares his immortality with his twin, and they are transformed into the constellation of Gemini. In Mockingjay, their roles are reversed. Pollux has lost his tongue to the Capitol and works as an Avox in the utility pipes and passageways under the city; Castor eventually buys his freedom.

Now, these are some pretty large and obvious examples, but they still make me smile. The more you read — and the more time you spend on Think Baby Names.com — the more “I see what you did there” moments you’ll have. It’s fun.

As I was writing my manuscript, Arden: the Girl from the Mountains, I unknowingly used a few of those moments.

No joke. It was an accident.

• Ilex is my large, down-to-earth, golden king of North Ferin. I googled ‘King Ilex’ just to make sure that a King Ilex has never existed before. And behold — a variety of holly called Ilex x altaclerensis, also known as ‘Golden King’

Golden King — of the garden and of North Ferin.

• Tristan, the name of my temperamental, emotionally insecure prince who makes his rounds with the ladies, is a name that means ‘noisy’ (he and Arden often have shouting matches) and is thought to be derived from the French word for sad: triste. Also, a lover’s tryst, or secret meeting between lovers; Tristan often meets in secret with his mistress Clemma.
• Princess Tamsin is the mentally unstable twin sister of King Ilex — and Tamsin means ‘twin.’

These were accidents. I had no idea of these meanings when I created these characters. When I found out, I burst into laughter. What are the odds?

…Then I had a couple purposeful “I see what you did there” moments.

• Charles and Brandon, brothers who are employed in the king’s army, are a play on Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, brother-in-law and best friend to Henry VIII, athlete, ladies’ man, and knight. Originally I had planned on calling the brothers Thomas and Wyatt, after one of my favourite Tudor-era courtiers and poet, but I ended up with Charles and Brandon.

Yes, I know this is Henry Cavill PLAYING Charles Brandon, but I couldn’t help myself — isn’t he handsome?

• King Filip and Queen Ismire is a bold, nearly polar-opposite play on King Ferdinand of Aragon and Queen Isabella of Castile, the Catholic Kings of Spain, and parents of Catherine of Aragon, wife of Henry VIII
• Princess Joliet, the youngest daughter of Filip and Ismire, based loosely on Juliet Capulet from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
• Clemma, Tristan’s mistress, comes from the fruit ‘clementine.’ Clemma is extremely sweet and temptingly beautiful.
• Custos Montem is a magician who is appointed to one be of Arden’s guides in her search for her missing ward. His name means ‘Guardian of the Mountain’ in Latin. (Or at least, according to Google Translate!)
• Arden Falconer, the name of my protagonist, was also intended. Obviously, her last name represents her career — falconry, but I had to hunt a little deeper for her first name. At first it was Mina, but I began the quest for a different, more meaningful, and landed on Arden. Meaning ‘great forest,’ the Forest of Arden is also a beautifully magical place in Shakespeare’s As You Like It. Also derived from the word ‘ardent.’

It’s extremely and deviously enjoyable writing these meanings — like hiding Easter eggs for children and wondering in supsense if they’ll find them.

My question to you: do you enjoy finding these “I see what you did there” puns? Are there any others you’ve found in books over the years?

“I see what you did there!”

So now I’m back…from outer space!

WordPress is formatting my blog oddly — please excuse this while I try to figure out if it’s me or them that’s causing the problem!

^^ My MIB gene condones Frank for his amazing singing, and for inspiring the title of this post.

Whew! After 86, 200 words in two and a half months, I have finished, edited, printed, and submitted my manuscript, titled Arden: the Girl from the Mountains. That was, to date, the most intense thing I’ve ever completed…and it’s not over yet.

While writing almost non-stop for 60-some days was often infuriating, just after one day without it I MISS IT ALREADY. I miss writing about stubborn, cool Arden, about temperamental Tristan, and charismatic Ilex. I miss the culture of the countries I’ve created, and I want to know what happens.

You see, I’ve left the window open. Actually, I left it wide open. They have yet to locate Amalie, a missing eight-year-old girl of royal importance, and Arden is faced with the freedom to refuse the empty position of King Ilex’s queen.

Shall I accept my own challenge, and write a sequel while the first is being considered for publication? Or shall I let my mind rest for a couple months, and meet some new characters?

Decisions, decisions.

In the meantime, I’ll let you know a bit about the writing process I’ve developed over the past two months. I tried, as best as I could, to write more than 1,000 words a day, and in the closing weeks I was wearing out my keyboard with a staggering average of 2,500 to 3,500 words. Normally, I would take a moment to let what I’ve written sink in — go back and read it, edit each chapter as it was written.

I had no such option here.

I wrote, and I wrote, and I wrote. I haven’t actually seen my family since mid-March, unless to ask for an opinion on names, situations, and plot weaknesses. I’m sure they’re all sick of Arden.

**wipe forehead**

My nails are nothing more than ugly stubs. Either worn down by the keyboard or shorn in anxiety, I’m not sure. The few times I conversed with my friends, they noted the frenzied look in my eye, and they knew that I was not really there.

And all were supportive. None criticised me — to my face, anyway! — on my bizarre mental state, and they were genuinely worried. I think they expected me to show up dressed in traditional Mundirian clothing and speaking their native language.

For an excerpt of my manuscript, see the bottom of this post.

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And to my Tudor followers! I profusely apologize for the lack of Tudor content, and that I missed some of the most anniversary-packed weeks. Some of the events I missed:

• Death of Henry VII and ascension of Henry VIII – April 21, 1509
• William Shakespeare’s [presumed] birth and death – April 23, 1564/1616
• Interrogation of Mark Smeaton – April 30, 1536
• Arrests of Anne Boleyn, Sir Henry Norris, and Viscount Rochford George Boleyn - May 2, 1536
• Arrests of Sir Francis Weston, Sir William Brereton – May 4, 1536
• And today, the arrests of Sir Thomas Wyatt and Sir Richard Page – May 5, 1536

May is a sad month for Tudor history fans. The fall of Anne Boleyn was extremely, breathtakingly fast. For a full timeline of Anne’s fall, visit the website for Claire Ridgway’s new book The Fall of Anne Boleyn: a Countdown.

~~

And a big congratulations to Zozie, who also finished her manuscript and submitted it to the same publisher as I did.

Having a writing friend has been invaluable. We bounce ideas off each other, walk through loopholes in our plots, dish on character gossip, and sit for hours in our own worlds — but we aren’t completely alone, because we have the semi-substantial figure of the other.

We jokingly call ourselves the next C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien — though it would be a long stretch if, combined, we accomplished a tenth of what they each did individually. The friendship of those two fantasy writers has been on our minds lately, and we’ve decided to co-author a blog to explore the lives and works of the famous friends. Behold: You are the Tolkien to my Lewis. Excuse us while we get things up and running, but within the next week some content will be posted!

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And now, for an excerpt of Arden: the Girl from the Mountains. (Background info: Arden Falconer lives on the remote Faleigh Mountain, where she, her godfather Teddy, and little brother Derrin breed and raise falcons. Every year they sell their beautiful birds in Galisle, the market village at the base of the mountain. This excerpt is from her time in Galisle.)

Greyfeather settled on Arden’s shoulder, his sharp talons disrupting her thoughts of home. She let him burrow into her skin, welcoming his soft warmth. The blanket of clouds from the day before had been blown away to uncover an overly blue sky, and the wind came from the north, bringing with it the coolness and freshness of the mountains. Arden breathed deeply, inhaling the cold scent that heightened her senses and raised her skin to goose-flesh.

“Nice cast.”

Arden quickly plastered a friendly smile on her face. “Thanks,” she said to the man. “Not many people know a group of falcons is called a cast.”

“My cousin used to own a falcon.” He shrugged. “You know, you’d probably sell a lot more if you didn’t train them to steal people’s hats.”

She realized with a start that it was the man from the Revel two nights ago. Without his hat and in daylight, he looked quite different. Little more than medium height, slight, almost lanky in build, cropped chestnut hair: he was not exceptionally handsome. His eyes, however, were large and brown as a cow’s and oddly appealing. Arden’s smile became more genuine.

“My falcons are trained with humour, Master; and only my elder ones are taught such tricks,” she replied. “Now, are you interested in this fine gyrfalcon to entertain your days? She’s a fantastic flyer, can hunt anything up to as big as a large goose; she’s very independent, but certainly not too much to handle.”

“I’m afraid I’m just window shopping for a friend,” said the man. He stuck his hands in his pockets. “But I’ll stop by again in a couple hours. She’s a beauty. Good day, Lady Falconer.”

Brought to my senses by a cat.

Here I am, sitting out in the glorious, buttery, golden sun with my laptop. My cat Remus is trying to eat my charger cord. I’m surfing through a dozen different blogs I follow, and a sharp pain in my calf — Remus has taken to biting my leg rather than the cord now — yanks me from my Internet-heavy haze.

Bad, Libby! Bad!

I have two weeks to meet my deadline for finishing my fantasy-esque novel (which is yet to be titled!) and I’m online? I have 10 more chapters to write (about 25000 words) plus editing and I’m looking at pictures of adorable shoes?

*hits self on hand with rule*

Bad Libby.

I believe I shall be disconnecting my computer from the World Wide Web until May. It is for the best, though I shall miss you. I reaaaaally need to spend the majority of my time with Arden Falconer and friends/foes.

And so, farewell, readers. I shall be seeing you either when I finish my novel (I highly doubt I’ll  get it done in time) or when May comes and I can work at my own pace again.

I leave you now with an article by Jon Tattrie. Enjoy, let them grumble, and watch out for Nargles (and other assorted creatures)!

I Endorse Nerds!

(Commissioned by me and created by my lovely sister.)

Behold — a badge a nerd like me can flaunt with pride. I realize that there are different types of nerds, but this kind happens to fall within my lightsaber-wielding, broomstick-riding, fire-breathing, Narnian-fighting, Hobbit-loving, Hunger Games tribute boundary of epic nerdiness.

So enjoy. Flaunt your inner nerd. Be proud. Feel free to share on Facebook or other blogs!

Nerd out.

 

I endorse nerds. So should you. Embrace your inner nerd and wear this badge with pride.

 

A little Dwarvish for you…

Here’s a little pixelated bundle of fun (okay, it’s a lot fun); one of my favourite fantasy authors, Christopher Paolini, speaking Dwarvish!

 His Inheritance Cycle finally wrapped up last fall with the release of Inheritance (Book Four), three years after Brisingr (Book Three) hit shelves. The wait was painful, but watching this video of Christopher erased any of my bitterness of the long wait. Reading his four, deliciously fat novels is quite the adventure. As he was only a teenager when he wrote Eragon (Book One), by the time you put the last book down it hardly sounds like the same writer! It’s amazing to go on the writing/magical/fantastical journey with Christopher, Eragon, Saphira, and friends/foes.

And, because of the Inheritance Cycle, dragons have tied for first with unicorns as my favourite fantasy creature.

I’ll probably be blogging more about the staggering and vast worlds of the Inheritance Cycle sometime later, but for now, enjoy!

PS: How do you like the new theme? I’ll try not to change again for another couple months, but sometimes change is good. In this case, anyway!

Selfish Characters Are Popular?

It’s been recently brought to my attention that many popular main characters are too selfish. The prime example given was Katniss Everdeen from Suzanne Collins’ bestselling Hunger Games trilogy.

I didn’t know how to take this. Yes, when you think about it, Katniss might be selfish. Then again, she’s a sixteen-year-old girl thrown into an arena of teenagers forced to fight to the death and trying to fulfill a promise to her sister.

Of course she’s selfish, especially in Book One. She’s trying to survive.

This got my mind whirring. Are other main characters selfish? I thought of Bella Cullen from the now-disgraced Twilight saga. Yes, she’s unbearably selfish, though no one really pays valid attention to her anymore. I thought of Harry Potter. While he’s a kid with way too much to handle and trying his best to be sacrificial, some of his actions betray the selfishness of a teenage boy. Eragon from the Inheritance Cycle — if you look at him deeper, he’s a selfish kid too.

Then I thought: are these characters selfish because of their youth? All of them are teenagers, and teenagers are inevitably selfish.

Are they selfish by accident of the author? Are they made that way?

Does it bug the reader when a protagonist thinks of nothing but him/herself? In poor Bella Cullen’s case, yes. That girl would have no self-esteem if she could hear people talk about her. In Harry, Eragon, and Katniss’s cases I don’t think anyone holds it against them because of their later actions.

Characters have to be flawed, but no one wants another Bella. So when do you draw the line and make a protagonist a little more selfless?

I’m figuring that out. Now I’m painfully aware of how others might read my character’s actions. Out of selfishness? Or out of love? I don’t want my Mina to be annoying to the reader. 

While I couldn’t care less of what other people thought about me, I want people to like my character. And, as Mina and I are still being acquainted and don’t trust each other 100% yet, I’m trying to be acutely aware of what her actions/thoughts might provoke in others. To a degree she is selfish — she wants to go home to her little brother and salvage her business. But I’m trying to make her see the bigger picture: maybe it’s best for everyone if she stays at the country’s capital of Naphiring.

I think she’ll come around. We need to get to know each other more; I need to figure out what makes her tick. Once I become situated with being in her head, I’ll be able to pull myself away and tell her to think of other people when necessary. “Think of Tristan and Ilex. They might need you more than you need your brother. Think about it, Mina.”

Just some thought. Take it how you will. :)

All Hail Wes Bentley’s Beard!

**MEDIUM-DEGREE SPOILERS**

It’s been nearly three years since I first laid my paws on Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games — I haven’t let go since. I devoured the first two books (THG and Catching Fire) in the trilogy and had to wait EIGHT MONTHS for the release of Mockingjay. I’d told my friends about this series that was now tied first place with Harry Potter in my heart/bookshelf, and they expressed polite disinterest. “Maybe I’ll read them if I get the chance.”

If only they knew then that by now they’d be just as sucked in as I am.

Last night we all headed out in our best Capitol/tribute attire to participate in the 74th annual Hunger Games. And we clenched hands as the theatre darkened and we waited.

It was good. Obviously not nearly as detailed or intricate as the book, but the screenwriters (one of which was Collins herself) managed to take Katniss’ thoughts and plaster them on the screen without narration — which I was glad for.

District 12 was amazing, nearly everything I imagined. The camera shook and shivered at shots of coal miners, old men, etc…adding an aura of instability and weakness to the poor district. Gale (Liam Hemsworth) was his handsome and irritating/teasing/attractive self, but I personally thought they played up the love triangle too soon in the series. Couldn’t you wait until the second movie, Gary? I really can’t say that much else – other than they needlessly deleted an entire character! Poor Madge; just **poof!**

Josh Hutcherson is a cutie as Peeta, surprisingly convincing as a blond considering his natural hair is black! And, originally I was upset about Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, but I love it. Fabulous, sweetheart. He had the drunk, ironic, crappy mentor down to perfection, in all the little details as he covered his glass from being refilled by an Avox. Oh, and Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci)! He’s exactly who I pictured as the blue-haired master of ceremonies. Excellent job, Debra Zane.

One last little casting comment. Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane. While Seneca doesn’t make a direct or noted appearance in the novels, the film makers took every excuse to have that amazing beard in the shot. I enjoyed that he played a relatively large role, calling the shots from the Game Centre and making decisions. (“Give me a tree.” And a tree falls in front of a fleeing Katniss.) He was as much of a character as Cato, and more so than Clove or Glimmer.

The bloodbath at the Cornicopia was heartbreaking and pleasingly disturbing. I was afraid they would coddle the audience with grunts and tousled hair, but there was blood, there was combat, there was snapping of bones. Good. This is not a kid’s book, and it’s not a kid’s movie.  

Despite the movie’s length (2 hours, 22 minutes) it felt short and unfinished, mostly because they had to shorten and merge multiple scenes into a couple of minutes. I have been hearing some less-than-sunny reviews, and in some cases I agree. It made 100% more sense if you read the book. While the movie on its own was good, the movie with the book was better.

Music: yes. Capitol costumes: goodness yes. Peeta’s blue eyes: non existent. Knocking Peeta out to save him: non existent. Cave scene: nearly non existent.

I know it’s not a very thorough review, but I had to say something about it before I forgot, and really don’t have the time. Read Kristin Cashore’s thoughts on the books. 

May the odds be ever in your favour!